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Pediatric Diseases and Conditions

Health Information

Fetal Blood Sampling

What is fetal blood sampling?

Fetal blood sampling is a procedure to remove a small amount of blood from the fetus during pregnancy. Fetal blood sampling is usually done by a specially trained perinatologist, a doctor who specializes in the care of the fetus in high-risk pregnancies. It is done as part of diagnosing, treating, and monitoring fetal problems at various times during pregnancy. A fetal blood sample may be taken to:

Diagnose genetic or chromosome abnormalities

Check for and treat severe fetal anemia or other blood problems such as Rh disease

Check fetal oxygen levels

Check for fetal infection

Give certain medications to the fetus

How is fetal blood sampling performed?

There are several ways blood can be obtained from the fetus. After cleansing the mother's abdomen with antiseptic, a long, thin needle is inserted into the mother's uterus guided by ultrasound. Blood may be taken from the following sources:

Blood vessels of the umbilical cord (also called cordocentesis, or percutaneous umbilical blood sampling, or PUBS)

A fetal blood vessel, usually in the liver or heart

Fetal blood transfusions are done using a similar technique. The fetus either receives blood or has unhealthy blood exchanged for healthy blood to treat some problems. In this case, it may be necessary to give a sedative medication to keep the baby from moving.

After a fetal blood sampling procedure, mothers will need to rest in the hospital and have the fetal heart rate monitored for a few hours.

What are the risks and benefits of fetal blood sampling?

Fetal blood sampling is a very complex procedure that must be done by a specially trained doctor. It is used when other tests or procedures are not possible or not effective. It can be done for pregnancies that are 18 weeks or later.

Risks

Benefits

Bleeding from the fetal blood sampling site

Changes in the fetal heart rate

Infection

Leaking of amniotic fluid

Fetal death

Specialized information about the health of the fetus can often be obtained

Fetuses with severe blood damaging diseases can be treated before birth